Détente
by Collie Parkillo
Summary: Iris doesn't get second chances. [aj verse] [feenris]


The snow howled brutally in front of her as Iris put her hand on the Hazakura gates to shut them. The red paint was peeling off of them and the wood was practically frozen. Different from the shiny, red tourist attraction in the magazine clipping ads. She let out a sigh, staring out at the storm.

It was practically pure white, with nothing visible except-a gray shape, trudging through the snow. Iris's first instinct was to slam the gates shut and run back into the temple and hide. It could be a spirit, or someone who would only bring trouble. Her stomach churned as she remembered the events of last year. The temple had been fairly empty since that fateful incident. That wasn't going to happen again.

Or she could just be imagining it entirely. What kind of fool would trudge up the mountain without a snow mobile?

"Wait! Wait, Do-I mean, Iris, please, just a second."

That kind of fool.

She was hallucinating. It was definitely another one of her bad dreams resurfacing. His voice sounded deeper, more serious than it had last year. She held the gate, watching transfixed as the shape emerged from the storm, panting heavily.

"You're not…"

And he wasn't. He was a stocky, older-looking sort in a wrecked pullover hoodie and a beanie hat that was caked with snow. It had been her ears playing tricks on her. He was lost, that was all. She'd let him stay a little while until the storm calmed down, then direct him to the parks department station. He looked a little like a lost skiier bum.

"Iris."

Iris froze. How did he know her name? It couldn't be. It wasn't. "Who are you? What is your business here?" An apprehensiveness she hadn't intended crept into her voice.

"Oh. Ha ha. No wonder you don't recognize me." He guffawed. "I came all this way and you don't even know who I am. Well, honestly, I don't blame you, a...a lot has changed in the last year."

"F-F-F…" She wasn't sure whether the stutter was her teeth chattering. "Regardless of who you are, come inside. We'll both freeze at this rate." She wondered if he could sense her desperation to change the subject. "Come on." She motioned with one gloved hand, and he followed, straying behind to stare at the suspension bridge as they approached the temple. "Don't dilly-dally. No one...no one uses that old thing anymore."

"Iris, don't you remember? You have to recall it. Or has Hazakura temple just buried the past in the snow?" He chuckled. "Larry said he saw you flying across that bridge on fire. Man, that must have been a sight. That bridge was beautiful. Honestly, it was one of the most beautiful natural disasters I've ever seen. I'm mighty thankful for it, really. Without it she'd have probably gotten away with it."

Iris looked down, biting her trembling upper lip and trying hard to ignore him. "Come inside...Mr. Wright." He looked a little shocked, then shook himself out of it and followed her into the warm, wooden room that he, Maya, and Pearl had eaten so many bowls of lentil soup in together. "It's...a pleasure to have you here," she said, her voice shaky.

"A pleasure to be here," he said, sitting down. "I see you've improved the heating system a little bit."

Iris couldn't take it any longer. She took a deep breath. "Please, let's not beat around the bush. Where are Mystic Pearl and Mystic Maya? Where is your lawyer suit? Why did you walk up the mountain in the middle of a blizzard to see me?!" She cursed her quiet, wavering tone, wishing that she could sound more like she wanted him to answer.

"Let's go bit by bit," he said, smiling. Iris noticed that his face was dotted with stubble. "Pearl and Maya are at Kurain Village…probably. I wouldn't know. Maya mentioned something about culinary school last I saw her. As for my lawyer suit?" He laughed a hollow laugh. "Well, I'm not a lawyer, so what good is it now?"

"M-Mr. Wright?!"

"Iris, please." In his voice she heard the scrawny college student who had worn the sweater she'd knitted him every day. "It's over now. It doesn't matter. I've got other things to do."

"But...but...it was your dream, Feenie!" She suddenly wanted to throw herself at him and shake him for speaking so nonchalantly. "How can you say it doesn't matter?!"

"Dreams change. You of all people would know that."

She fell silent, then stood up. "I think I will go make us some soup and tell Sister Bikini that you're here. Make yourself at home."

When she walked into the kitchen, Sister Bikini was chopping fennel and humming to herself. "Sister...Sister Bikini."

"Iris, what is it? You sound like you've seen a ghost." She chuckled. "Not that that'd be that unusual."

"It's...it's...it's…" She could barely bring herself to say it. "Feenie." She couldn't say Mr. Wright or Phoenix. He was Feenie. He was Feenie and he had loved her without even knowing who she was and she had lied to him and had to look him in the eyes again after telling the truth. "He's here."

"Oh, Iris!" She hopped off of her stool and pulled her into a hug, sensing the hint in her voice that she was on the verge of tears. "Iris, this is a happy occasion! Let me make my specialty, onion soup!"

"I...I don't know if it's happy, that's all."

"Of course it is! Sit down, don't worry yourself with cooking. Iris, you need to enjoy yourself more and stop running around for other people."

"He's different now, Sister Bikini. He's not a lawyer anymore. And I...I don't know what to say, how can I-"

Sister Bikini gave her a stern look. "Iris, I can tell when love goes away. People are different when they stop loving someone. Go bring him this." She shoved some wool blankets into Iris's hands. "For you, too. It's a wild storm out. Also, did you let him park his snowmobile somewhere?"

Iris felt herself reddening. "He...didn't take a snowmobile. He walked."

Bikini looked mildly shocked, then burst into laughter. "Iris! Give him the blankets, the poor man must be exhausted! I'll make some tea as well as the soup. Oh, what you young folks do in the name of love."

Iris sighed and took the blankets out to where he was sitting. "You...you must be very cold. Bikini gave me some blankets to give to you. Also, if you give me your sweatshirt, I can dry it off a little."

He smiled at her, pulling off his soaked sweatshirt and handing it to her. "My pleasure." Without his sweatshirt, the only thing covering him was an also somewhat soaked with undershirt. Other than a gold locket around his neck and his hat, that was it. Iris tried not to stare, quickly turning around to put the jacket in the laundry basket. Once the storm calmed down she could wash and dry it.

"So," he began. She wasn't sure what name she should call him. Phoenix, Feenie, Mr. Wright, she didn't know what name he wanted. "You look lovely, Iris."

"A-as do you." She paused. "This is all very nice but...what did you come here for? You can't have just walked up a mountain in the middle of a snowstorm for fun." She sat down next to him, and before she could object he pulled the blanket around both of them.

"I came to see you. Or, specifically, to ask you about something."

"What is it?"

Before he had a chance to answer, Sister Bikini came bustling out of the kitchen with a tray of tea and soup. "Oh, look at you two all bundled up! I told you the blankets were a good idea, Iris! And Mr. Wright! How great to see you again!"

"Hello, Sister."

"You look a bit different, don't you? A new look, eh?" She looked him up and down as though inspecting him for any ticks or fleas. "Well, I like it. I'm sure Iris does, too. Now, how about some tea to warm you up?" She set it down in front of them. "I'll leave you two alone to talk, but if you need anything, give me a holler!"

Mr. Wright cleared his throat awkwardly. "I...well, she seems to be doing well. Anyways, I've come with a proposal, I guess you could call it." Iris looked at him as though awaiting instruction, but then she noticed the locket he was playing with with one hand.

"What's in there?" She pointed at it. "I mean, I'm sorry for interrupting, but…"

"No, no, it's fine. It's my daughter, see?" He opened it. A little girl's face was stuck inside the little gold locket. Iris swallowed.

"Your...daughter?" Of course he hadn't come up here to do anything like what she'd been thinking of. It was foolish to believe that. "Congratulations on your marriage...and on your baby," she said, trying to be cordial.

He looked puzzled, then laughed. "No, I'm not married. Trucy's adopted. It was a very circumstantial thing. And, really, I think that's the perfect entry for what I wanted to say to you. It's lonely taking care of a kid and playing poker all day. Trucy needs a mom. I need somebody else."

"Are you…" Her voice faded. She imagined herself and the man she'd loved for years taking care of a child, Iris bouncing her on her knee and feeding her. She imagined making breakfast of eggs and french toast for her Feenie every morning. She imagined lying in bed next to him and falling asleep to the sound of his breathing.

"Yes, I am." He sipped his onion soup, and she thought he was the most beautiful person she'd ever seen.

She could hear the sound of the hail and snow pit-pattering on the door outside, and of Sister Bikini boiling something in the kitchen.

"I'll think about it," she said.

"You will?"

"Yes. I just...need some time, you know."

"I understand."

She laid there, with her head on his shoulder listening to the snow outside the window and her tea steaming on her lap, and thought about it.


End file.
